Oklahoma: Speed Trap Police Department Shut DownThe speed trap town of Shamrock, Oklahoma will lose its police department because its officers are not properly certified.

Shamrock, Oklahoma police were ordered to turn in their badges on Thursday. The tiny town of 125 had operated a notorious speed trap, as documented by the Speed Trap Exchange website and later confirmed by the state attorney general's office. A letter from Assistant District Attorney Mike Loeffler dated July 13 officially suspended the police department's authority.

According to the letter, the police chief and his two officers do not have valid law enforcement certification from the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training, the state agency responsible for ensuring police meet minimum standards of professional conduct. The Creek County Sheriff's Department will assume police duties for the town.

Oklahoma has been cracking down on municipalities that generate a disproportionate share of revenue from traffic tickets. Several months ago, Shamrock police were stripped of the authority to issue traffic citations.